Friday, May 12, 2017

England's Ofcom Wants To Talk To Fox Harassment Victims

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox should waive gagging orders on victims of alleged racial and sexual harassment at Fox News so they can speak to the UK media watchdog, a lawyer representing the victims has said.

According to The Guardian, Douglas Wigdor talked about the allegations on Thursday with Ofcom, which is considering whether to approve 21st Century Fox’s acquisition of the 61% of Sky it does not already own.

It must decide whether it believes 21st Century Fox, which is run by Rupert Murdoch and his sons Lachlan and James, is “fit and proper” to own Sky.

Wigdor said Ofcom could only properly consider the company’s fitness by talking to the alleged victims, 21 of whom he is representing. He said the culture at “18th Century Fox” was scandalous.

The Fox News chairman Roger Ailes and leading presenter Bill O’Reilly have left the broadcaster as a result of the scandal.

In its latest financial results, released on Wednesday, 21st Century Fox revealed it had spent about $45m (£35m) in relation to sexual harassment litigation, including settlements, in the nine months to the end of March.